+ Timor marks 10 years of independence—EAST Timor is preparing to celebrate a decade of independence from Indonesian rule today, with new President Taur Matan Ruak leading festivities in a ...

+ Chen's odyssey ends in freedom—CHINESE activist Chen Guangcheng's arrival in New York draws a line under a month-long saga that tested relations between the world superpowers. [Li...

+ Dissident Chen arrives in US in study deal—BLIND Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has arrived in the United States on a flight from Beijing, a month after escaping house arrest in China. [Li...

+ Obama sides with France on growth push—US President Barack Obama is risking the ire of Angela Merkel by backing French calls for more pro-growth policies in Europe ahead of the G8 summit. ...

+ Britain glows as torch leaves Land's End—THE London Olympic torch relay has begun at Land's End in Cornwall with what may be one of the slowest relay legs in history. [Link to media]

+ Facebook shares set trading record—A RECORD 571m shares traded in Facebook's IPO, and while the market debut was more buzz than pop, its founder is now worth $US19.3bn. [Link to media]

+ Plane fault delays PM's NATO trip—JULIA Gillard's VIP plane broke down in Queensland, delaying her flight across the Pacific to attend the NATO summit in Chicago. [Link to media]

+ Watchdog in search of good oil—HOW do you know if the olive oil you buy from the supermarket shelf is truly the good oil you expect and have paid for? [Link to media]

+ Queensland will be hard, says PM—PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has acknowledged Labor has a lot of work to do in Queensland. [Link to media]

+ ALP's Andrews to dump watchdog—LABOR'S Daniel Andrews gambled on dumping Victoria's new construction industry watchdog while embracing the work of the CFMEU. [Link to media]

+ Wall St in 12th straight loss—US blue chips extended a losing streak not seen in almost 40 years as Wall St fell for the 12th consecutive trading session. [Link to media]

+ Olympics flame comes to London—THE Olympics flame landed on British soil yesterday, arriving from Athens on a gold-painted jet that touched down in London. [Link to media]

+ Facebook shares set trading record—A RECORD 571m shares traded in Facebook's IPO, but the market debut was more buzz than pop and the stock closed just US23c higher. [Link to media]

+ Facebook IPO sets trading record—A RECORD 571m shares traded in Facebook's IPO, but the market debut was more buzz than pop and the stock closed just US23c higher. [Link to media]

+ Facebook updates status to 'trading'—MORE than 100 million shares were traded in the first four minutes of Facebook's debut on the US Nasdaq market. [Link to media]

+ PM reaches over Swan to business—JULIA Gillard is reaching out to leaders of corporate Australia in an attempt to rebuild fractured relations with big business. [Link to media]

+ $64bn sell-off over Greece, China fears—FEARS that the world is again plunging into financial crisis sparked panic selling on the sharemarket yesterday. [Link to media]

+ ABC 'climate death threats' undermined—THE accuracy of the ABC's reporting on climate change has been called into question by an activist. [Link to media]

+ Split the band, save the brand—IT was in the middle of a recording session in February that Jeff, Murray and Greg woke up to the idea of quitting the Wiggles. [Link to media]

+ Facebook debut has California dreaming—IT has transformed the online landscape but the biggest impact of Facebook's Wall Street debut is likely to be seen in the company's own back yard. ...

+ Elders' line in the sand on songlines—WHAT began as a plan to chronicle "the last great intact songline" has descended into a row over Aboriginal cultural rights. [Link to medi...

+ Gusmao backs Aussie links over gas—THE dispute between East Timor and Woodside Petroleum over gas fields should not weaken international ties, PM Xanana Gusmao says. [Link to media]

+ Combet upbeat on carbon markets—CLIMATE Change Minister Greg Combet has defied analysts' predictions and declared international carbon markets will recover over the next three years....

+ Company fined over 'no-ticket, no-start' policy—A LABOUR hire company has been fined after adopting a "no-ticket, no start" policy to keep industrial peace with the Maritime Union of ...

+ Redmond chief of staff walks after leak fight—SOUTH Australian Opposition leader Isobel Redmond has lost her chief of staff, Andrew Coombe, who quit after a falling-out with the Liberal leader. ...

+ Stocks plummet in selling frenzy—THE sharemarket lost nearly $30bn today, wiping out all this year's gains as a savage sell-off carried it to a seven-month low. [Link to media]

+ Slipper claims 'an ambush'—PETER Slipper's former staffer James Ashby had mounted a media blitz aimed at  "character assassination" of the Speaker, a court has be...

+ NRL betting plunge charges dismissed—MATCH fixing charges against rugby league player manager Sam Ayoub have been dismissed in a Sydney court. [Link to media]

+ Turnbull buoyed by WA future fund move—MALCOLM Turnbull has renewed his call for a national sovereign wealth fund, lauding Western Australia's future fund as "common sense". [Link...

+ Ill-fated insulation scheme nears its end—LABOR has heralded the end of its disastrous home insulation scheme, announcing it's met its commitment to home inspections. [Link to media]

+ Socialite jailed for stabbing girlfriend—A FORMER Australian Survivor contestant and Sydney socialite has been jailed for at least 11 years for attempting to kill his ex-girlfriend. [Link t...

+ Australia squandering boom: ANZ—THE nation risks losing its first-mover advantage in Asia without serious economic reform, ANZ CEO Mike Smith said. [Link to media]

+ Europe fears spark share panic—PANIC gripped Australia's sharemarket today as fears of a run on Europe's banks slugged investor confidence. [Link to media]

+ Carr backs Taliban role in Afghanistan—FOREIGN Minister Bob Carr says Afghanistan's prospects of stability will be boosted if the Taliban is involved in a post-transition government. [Lin...

+ Slipper accusations 'an ambush'—PETER Slipper's former staffer James Ashby had mounted a media blitz aimed at  "character assassination" of the Speaker, a court has be...

+ Shares plunge on EU bank fears—THE sharemarket plunged nearly 2pc as fears of a European banking sell-off spread to Spain and sapped investor confidence worldwide. [Link to media...

+ Abbott rebukes Joyce for Ashby attack—TONY Abbott has reprimanded colleague Barnaby Joyce for describing Peter Slipper's accuser James Ashby as "dodgy". [Link to media]

+ Zuckerberg's rise was no accident—FACEBOOK'S founder is about to become the 23rd richest person on earth. His own messages reveal a fast learner with a ruthless streak. [Link to medi...

+ Welsh create first 'Wikipedia town'—A SMALL Welsh town where English King Henry V was born is about to make history again by becoming the world's first "Wikipedia town". [Lin...

+ Buffett finds value in newspapers—WARREN Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has agreed to buy almost all the newspapers owned by Media General for $142 million. [Link to media]

+ I've lost the passion: Stoner quits at 26—AUSTRALIA'S two-time world motorcycling champion Casey Stoner has stunned the sport by announcing he will quit at the end of the season for "fami...

+ Disco queen Donna Summer dead at 63—DONNA Summer, whose pulsing anthems became the soundtrack for a glittery age of sex, drugs, dance and flashy clothes, has died at 63. [Link to media...

+ What does FB's IPO mean for users?—FACEBOOK users can expect a more sophisticated but possibly more annoying experience on the social network post-float. [Link to media]

+ WA to lock away boom riches—WA will plough some of its unprecedented mining wealth into a future fund it says will be worth at least $4.7 billion within 20 years. [Link to medi...

+ Unionist took cash from developer—A UNION stalwart who helps to run a superannuation fund for meat workers was paid tens of thousands of dollars by a property developer. [Link to med...

+ Swan ignores class war warning—WAYNE Swan is openly defying business-sector warnings about Labor's escalating use of class-based political rhetoric. [Link to media]

+ Fear made me go public: Ashby—JAMES Ashby says a fear of reprisal motivated his decision to go public with his sexual-harassment claim and pursue legal action. [Link to media]

+ New Wiggles hang on to old and blue—THE Wiggles are taking their big red car in a radical new direction and dropping off three of the original members along the way. [Link to media]

+ Fight against intervention taken to UN—THE chairman of the National Congress of Australia's First People, Les Malezer, has criticised the proposed 10-year extension of the intervention at t...

+ Simons 'set bar too high for herself'—ACADEMIC Margaret Simons has failed to meet her own standards by not disclosing her dealings with the Finkelstein inquiry. [Link to media]

+ Casino claims 'gossip, not fact'—SENSATIONAL media stories about Sydney's The Star casino were untrue,  the NSW casino watchdog has found. [Link to media]

+ Slipper accuser 'did not raise concerns'—THE commonwealth has hit back in the Peter Slipper affair, saying the Speaker's accuser James Ashby failed to discuss his concerns with his employer. ...

+ Slipper's accuser 'did not raise concerns'—THE commonwealth has hit back in the Peter Slipper affair, saying the Speaker's accuser James Ashby failed to discuss his concerns with his employer. ...

+ Billion-dollar future fund for WA—A $1 billion future fund is the centrepiece of West Australia's budget which is set to deliver a $196m surplus. [Link to media]

+ Three Wiggles to hand in their skivvies—A WOMAN will pull on a prized Wiggles skivvy for the first time as part of a revamp which will see three founding members quit at year's end. [Link ...

+ Slipper's accuser turns on Carr, Joyce—PETER Slipper's accuser James Ashby has made a formal complaint, alleging vilification by Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Nationals Senate Leader Barnab...

+ Giddings returns Tasmania to net debt—TASMANIA will return to net debt and raise taxes as it continues to cope with a collapse in GST and state revenues. [Link to media]

+ AFL star Jurrah faces new charges—PROSECUTORS have laid four extra charges against Melbourne Demons star Liam Jurrah over an alleged machete attack at Alice Springs in March. [Link t...

+ EU crisis to kill surplus plan—THE EU crisis will force Australia's government to scrap plans for a budget surplus and compel more RBA rate cuts, Warwick McKibbin said. [Link to ...

+ Academic defends print inquiry links—JOURNALISM academic Margaret Simons has downplayed revelations she failed to disclose her role in a print inquiry, at which she gave evidence. [Link...

+ Australia suffers 'Dutch disease'—A COMMODITIES boom can be a double-edged sword that destroys competitiveness and breeds resentment, as Australia is learning. [Link to media]

+ Star Casino cleared over boss's sacking—THE NSW casino watchdog has cleared the management of Sydney's The Star casino of any wrongdoing in relation to the sacking of Sid Vaikunta. [Link t...

+ Shorten turns 'class war' attack on Libs—WORKPLACE minister Bill Shorten says Labor is not the party of class war, instead pinning the tag on the Coalition for its resistance to measures to h...

+ Budget must be scrapped, says McKibbin—AUSTRALIA'S budget was "very badly timed" and will need to be "completely" redone, ex-RBA board member Warwick McKibbin said. [L...

+ Adviser denies anti-News agenda—JOURNALISM academic Matthew Ricketson denies being part of an anti-News Limited 'coterie' being used to impose regulation on the print media. [Link ...

+ Apple fuels new iPhone rumours—APPLE has ordered screens from suppliers that are bigger than the ones used in iPhones since they debuted in 2007. [Link to media]

+ Greens call for national ICAC—THE Greens have called for a national integrity commission to deal with allegations of wrongdoing by MPs, their staff and public servants. [Link to ...

+ FBI launches probe into bomb plot leak—FBI chief Robert Mueller has launched a probe into leaks about a plot to blow up a US-bound jet, warning such tip-offs endanger lives. [Link to medi...

+ Exit would be big drama for Greece—RETURNING to a national currency would catapult Greece into a financial, legal and political no-man's land. [Link to media]

+ Women take half of posts in French cabinet—FRENCH President Francois Hollande has unveiled a government of mainly moderate Socialists and longtime allies, with half the cabinet made up of women...

+ Survivor 'played dead' during massacre—A YOUNG survivor of Anders Behring Breivik's massacre on a Norwegian island has told his trial how she stayed alive by hiding behind dead bodies. [Lin...

+ Google revamps search engine—GOOGLE is rolling out an extensive update to its dominant search engine by using massive troves of data to refine answers. [Link to media]

+ Dramatic start to Mladic genocide trial—HE is no longer the swaggering general from the Bosnian war. Yet as his genocide trial began yesterday, Ratko Mladic still managed to reopen old wound...

+ Greece gets caretaker PM until vote—A SENIOR judge has been sworn in to head Greece's caretaker government for a month as the debt-crippled country lurches towards new elections. [Link t...

+ Dow slumps to four-month low—AMERICA'S blue-chip index fell for a fourth straight session as Greece's political turmoil extended the recent stock slide. [Link to media]

+ BHP chief lashes work laws—BHP Billiton chairman Jac Nasser has launched a scathing attack on Australia's restrictive labour regulations. [Link to media]

+ $30bn shares slump over Greece—MORE than $30 billion was wiped off the Australian stockmarket in the biggest one-day sell-off since December. [Link to media]

+ Labor to reveal Thomson legal bills—LABOR will reveal its funding of Craig Thomson's legal expenses after party elder John Faulkner stepped in to the affair. [Link to media]

+ Call to end uni 'popularity contest'—CHIEF scientist Ian Chubb will call for a radical rethink of university funding so that sciences do not fall victim to a "popularity contest"...

+ Kelty calls on faithful to back Labor—FORMER ACTU secretary Bill Kelty last night delivered a rallying call to the labour movement [Link to media]

+ Academic failed to disclose inquiry role—ACADEMIC Margaret Simons brokered key advice for the independent media inquiry but did not disclose the fact when she gave evidence. [Link to media]

+ Affiliation fees up to take on Abbott—A SMALL increase in union affiliation fees will  be used by the ACTU to set up a permanent campaigning unit. [Link to media]

+ Children abused 'to order' on Skype—ONLINE pedophiles are paying to have children in overseas countries sexually abused according to their preferences. [Link to media]

+ Sorkin to write Steve Jobs biopic—STEVE Jobs will come to life on screen courtesy of "The Social Network" writer Aaron Sorkin. [Link to media]

+ Michael Clarke weds in secret—AUSTRALIA's cricket captain Michael Clarke has married his partner, Kyly Boldy, at a secret ceremony in the Blue Mountains. [Link to media]

+ Class war hurting confidence: BHP boss—BHP Billiton chairman Jac Nasser says Labor's class-war rhetoric and focus on redistributing wealth are undermining investor confidence in Australia. ...

+ New body to guide union leadership—A FORMER federal court judge will head an independent panel to report on ways of improving the governance of Australian unions. [Link to media]

+ Thomson saga may prompt poll reform—THE Craig Thomson affair could spark a wide-ranging overhaul of electoral disclosure laws. [Link to media]

+ Stocks plunge in regional rout—SHARES suffered their worst drop so far this year, falling 2.4pc as fear gripped regional markets, and the dollar fell below US99c. [Link to media]

+ Tomic gets claycourt lesson—WORLD No.1 Novak Djokovic dealt Bernard Tomic a claycourt reality check with a straight-sets dismissal of the Australian today. [Link to media]

+ Hockey refuses to commit to NDIS—JOE Hockey has undermined Tony Abbott's support for a disability insurance scheme, declaring he won't commit to something he cannot deliver. [Link t...

+ Agencies 'fail' super fraud victims—REGULATORS and the police haven't done enough to track down those behind the collapse of Trio Capital, says a parliamentary inquiry. [Link to media]

+ Resource prices to fall further: BHP—HIGH commodity prices are moderating and are expected to ease further, the chairman of BHP Billiton, the world's biggest miner, said. [Link to media...

+ NewsLifeMedia axes top editors—NEWSLIFEMEDIA has today axed three of its most senior editors. [Link to media]

+ Abbott dismisses defamation 'stunt'—OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott says a union leader's defamation case against him is a "blatant political try on". [Link to media]

+ Senior priest admits fathering a child—THE Legion of Christ religious order has been hit by another scandal after its most well-known priest admitted he has fathered a child. [Link to med...

+ Thomson cleared over seat spending—MOST of the Health Services Union money spent on Craig Thomson's bid for the seat of Dobell was spent within electoral reporting guidelines. [Link t...

+ Prison builder goes bust—ST HILLIERS' construction arm is in administration after failing to secure extra funds for Victoria's Ararat Prison expansion. [Link to media]

+ Black Saturday victims win $33m payout—THE victims of a Black Saturday bushfire in Victoria's northeast have won a compensation settlement worth almost $33 million. [Link to media]

+ WikiLeaks cable may have led to hanging—AN Iranian who was hanged yesterday for allegedly murdering a nuclear scientist might have died because of a confidential cable published by WikiLeaks...

+ Truckie in crash allegedly on methadone—A TRUCK driver charged with the manslaughter of a man and his parents was allegedly under the influence of methadone at the time. [Link to media]

+ Shares dive as fear takes hold—AUSTRALIAN shares tumbled as "legitimate" fears for the eurozone grew amid escalating financial and political turmoil in Greece. [Link to ...

+ Long wait for Raspberry Pi—AUSTRALIANS who registered an interest in the tiny $35 Raspberry Pi computer could be waiting months for delivery. [Link to media]

+ Hewitt gets French Open wildcard—VETERAN Lleyton Hewitt and teenager Ashleigh Barty have been awarded Tennis Australia's wildcards into the French Open main draw. [Link to media]

+ Eurozone 'ready for life after Greece'—GREECE has been told the euro can survive without it as Athens prepared for another election that could end its membership of the single currency. [...

+ Bling in a time of austerity—PASTE jewellery is making a comeback on the red carpets and catwalks in a time of economic austerity. And it seems bigger is better when it comes to f...

+ ACTU out to flex industrial muscle—THE union movement has unveiled a long-term campaign to wind back the casualisation of the workforce and improve bargaining conditions. [Link to med...

+ Arrests as cops end tent embassy protest—POLICE have broken up an Aboriginal protest in a Brisbane park, arresting 31 people amid claims excessive force was used. [Link to media]

+ Union halts whistleblower's IR address—THE Health Services Union's East branch has voted to ban union chief Kathy Jackson from addressing the conservative thinktank, the HR Nicholls Society...

+ Consumer spirit lifts on RBA cut—CONSUMER confidence rose modestly after Australia's central bank delivered a surprisingly deep cut to the cash rate on May 1. [Link to media]

+ Royal diamond sells for $10m—A CENTURIES-old diamond passed down through generations of European royalty fetched nearly $A10 million at auction in Geneva. [Link to media]

+ Charity-seekers say life getting harder—A DISTURBING new survey has revealed that over half the people seeking charity feel worse off financially than they were last year. [Link to media]

+ Mum's bid to keep girls in Australia—THE Family Court will today be asked to urgently intervene to stop four Queensland girls from being sent to Italy to live with their allegedly abusive...

+ Angry Cahill accepts suspension—A "DISGUSTED" Tim Cahill has accused Frenchman Yohan Cabaye of using language which has "no place either on or off the football pitch&q...

+ Unionists to fund new campaign war chest—UNION members will contribute tens of millions of dollars to an election fighting fund aimed at preventing Tony Abbott from becoming prime minister. ...

+ Opposition grows to subsidised gas—THE Coalition has warned against industry moves to mandate the use of gas for local industry, in a strong call for a free market. [Link to media]

+ Court bid to keep sisters in Australia—THE mother of four girls on the run from authorities will appeal to a Queensland court today to keep her children in Australia. [Link to media]

+ Man on fire at Breivik trial—A MAN has set himself on fire outside the Oslo courthouse where Anders Behring Breivik is on trial for killing 77 people. [Link to media]

+ Greek bank run intensifies—GREEK depositors withdrew €700m from local banks on Monday, forcing President Papoulias to warn that Greek banks were "very weak" [Li...

+ Police move in to end tent embassy—POLICE were today involved in a stand-off with Aboriginal protesters refusing to dismantle a tent embassy in a Brisbane park. [Link to media]

+ Merkel, Hollande push to keep eurozone—FRANCOIS Hollande and Germany's Angela Merkel have stressed their desire to keep the eurozone together, as Greece heads for a new election. [Link to...

+ Brooks 'baffled' over hacking charges—FORMER newspaper executive Rebekah Brooks has said she is "baffled" by criminal charges she now faces over the phone hacking scandal. [Lin...

+ Cash splash ambushes wage case—LABOR'S $2.1 billion cash splash for parents and its scrapping of plans to cut the company tax rate have put wage rises in jeopardy. [Link to media]

+ Slipper still arbiter of Thomson—PETER Slipper would still decide whether Craig Thomson should face a parliamentary privileges committee investigation. [Link to media]

+ Time to stiffen union spines: PM—JULIA Gillard has conceded that her government is in political trouble but blamed a "relentless" fear campaign by Tony Abbott. [Link to me...

+ Conroy adviser backed media inquiry choice—STAFF in Stephen Conroy's office boasted about their "strong relationship" with University of Canberra professor Matthew Ricketson. [Link ...

+ $24m for Australia's biggest birdbath—PROTECTED species of birds are stymieing the release of vast amounts of water from the abandoned Toorale sheep station. [Link to media]

+ Ashby sets aside taxi rorting claims—THE political staffer accusing Peter Slipper of sexual harassment has dropped all allegations of Cabcharge misuse in his civil suit. [Link to media]

+ Pakistan bucks student trend—PAKISTAN has become the top growth market in the international education industry. [Link to media]

+ Brooks to face phone hacking charges—FORMER News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks is to face charges over Britain's tabloid phone hacking scandal. [Link to media]

+ Hollande wants a 'new path' in Europe—FRENCH President Francois Hollande said he wanted to "open a new path" in Europe after being sworn in today. [Link to media]

+ Job program paying dividends at Rock—THERE have been more than 100 Aboriginal employees taken on at Ayers Rock Resort Yulara in less than a year. [Link to media]

+ PM rallies Labor troops for poll fight—JULIA Gillard has urged Labor supporters not to succumb to despair over the party's political plight. [Link to media]

+ Rate cuts to ease growth concerns—TREASURY Secretary Martin Parkinson has indicated that interest rates could be cut further if the economy slows more than predicted. [Link to media]

+ Slipper may avoid court over Cabcharges—THE federal government is seeking to have allegations about former speaker Peter Slipper's alleged misuse of Cabcharges struck out from a court claim....

+ Russians launch space mission—TWO Russians and an American have blasted off for the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz FG rocket from Kazakhstan. [Link to media]

+ Keep the faith, unionists told—NEW ACTU secretary Dave Oliver has promised to revive the heady days of the "Your Rights at Work" campaign. [Link to media]

+ NZ court hears of $10m runaways—A NEW Zealand man who had $10 million accidentally put into his bank account cried 'I'm f---king rich' when he made the discovery, a court has heard. ...

+ Queensland parliament has first sitting—FIONA Simpson has launched a strong defence of her independence as Speaker, as the Liberal National Party-dominated parliament sat for the first time ...

+ David Hussey hit with lawsuit—A LAWSUIT slapped on David Hussey by his former management team has exposed the riches available to cricket's biggest bats for hire. [Link to media]

+ Gay-unions opponent quits equality board—THE Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission board member who publicly opposed same-sex marriage on health grounds has quit. [Link to media]

+ Facebook IPO hits $US104bn—FACEBOOK raised the price range on its IPO, valuing the social network company at up to $US104bn, up from a maximum of $US96bn. [Link to media]

+ ACTU seeks to build trust after HSU—ACTU president Ged Kearney has said unions need to improve accountability and maintain the trust of low-paid members in the wake of the HSU scandal. ...

+ NSW RailCorp to axe 750 jobs—THE NSW Transport Minister has confirmed 750 rail jobs will be lost, and a report recommends the axing of up to 4500 rail workers. [Link to media]

+ Labor hopeful after Newspoll bounce—CABINET Minister Craig Emerson says Labor MPs will take comfort in the government's three-point bounce in today's Newspoll. [Link to media]

+ US oil giant warns on resource policy—EXXONMOBIL warned that current government policies risked harming the Australia's growth potential. [Link to media]

+ Fixing allegations hit IPL—AN Indian television channel has uncovered alleged corruption in the Indian Premier League and local cricket competitions. [Link to media]

+ Obama in attack on 'vampire' Romney—US President Barack Obama's camp has unleashed a fierce assault on his Republican foe Mitt Romney, slamming the former venture capitalist as a "v...

+ Ron Paul suspends presidential campaign—DOGGED US congressman Ron Paul has suspended active campaigning for the presidency, leaving Mitt Romney as the last Republican standing. [Link to me...

+ Greece looks to coalition to avert crisis—GREECE'S president has proposed a coalition government made up of technocrats in a bid to end the week-long political deadlock. [Link to media]

Last new 20/5/12 10:12am.